In the beginning of my project I had this very abstract idea, or thesis, that I thought was going to lead me to dramatic and intense findings. I thought my trip to Guatemala was going to be a Nicholas D. Kristof-esque type escapade of critical journalism.

That was not the case upon my arrival. After a long relaxing day of shopping and sightseeing in the beautiful place that is Antigua, it became more and more apparent to me that the amount of days that I would actually be spending with my host family would only be about eight. This was hardly enough time for the idea I had planned in mind. It also didn’t help that the answers to my questions never seemed to be answered “correctly”, or lacked specifics.

I knew that in order to have a presentable piece I needed to narrow down by a lot. So I did. I chose three things I wanted to learn about in the Santa Clara La Laguna community: religion, health, and crime. That was a major way my project developed or changed during my stay. The challenges I am facing now are more along the lines of organization and research. I feel unprepared with just my 20 minute interviews and I think it would be beneficial if I had more of a background in each area before I present it to a body of people that will only ever forge an idea about Santa Clara based on what I show, or fail to show. I especially wished that I got more information on the crime aspect, however, I don’t think the patrolling cop cared much for my greeting let alone two or three recorded questions. That is what I am hoping the research will cover. I am, however, really confident in the area of health and religion, so that is something I’m looking forward to.